Hometown(s): Vista, California and Philippines
Major(s): Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology
From the tropical Philippines and sunny California, Jed is a senior studying Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology. Raised by his mother who practiced nursing and inspired by the accelerated development of the COVID-19 vaccine on a global scale, Jed was inspired to pursue an engineering degree with a focus in biomedicine.
Given his multicultural roots, he was drawn by Tufts' opportunities to navigate college through an interdisciplinary lens. In his first year, he was part of the Tufts with Rwanda fellowship in which he visited Rwanda fostered connections with the Agahozo-Shalom Youth Village and learned about Rwandan history. He also joined a cohort of students in Washington D.C. in 2023 to learn more about Holocaust and Genocide Education. His diverse scientific interests and nonprofit engagement has taken him to places like Chicago, IL, Chattanooga, TN, St. Paul, MN, and San Diego, CA where he presented research posters, participated in volunteer service trips, and was part of conferences with like-minded peers.
A strong believer of "learning by doing," Jed has conducted extensive research in academic labs and in pharmaceutical internships. To name a few experiences, he explored silk-based polymers and nanoparticles as drug delivery tools in the Kaplan Lab, prototyped an in-house process to produce a protein essential for stem cell media in the Iyer Lab, improved a clinical-stage cancer therapeutic formulation at Genentech, and characterized hundreds of antigens using a variety of biophysical tools at Moderna. Although each new experience is distinct, Jed finds joy in connecting the dots between different stages of the overarching drug development process.
Outside engineering, Jed finds joy in trying out all sorts of roles on campus. Over the course of his Tufts journey, Jed has been an Admissions Office tour guide and a Jumbo Magazine writer, a Tufts Dining catering worker, a Residential Life "move out" crew member, a support staff during Orientation and Reunion Weeks, a Center for the Enhancement of Learning and Teaching pedagogical partner, a student ambassador for the Mental Health Representatives, a Tisch Library inventory record-keeper, and–most importantly–Jumbo the elephant during Community Day and occasional special events, having had fist bumped Tufts presidents Tony Monaco and Sunil Kumar. Through these seemingly routine gigs, Jed has found a deep sense of appreciation and community—not only with the broader Tufts family, but also with the dedicated people working behind the scenes to keep campus life running.
Beyond community, mentorship is something Jed deeply values. He served as a BEAST pre-orientation peer leader within the FIRST Resource Center, helping first-years who identify as low-income and/or first-generation acclimate to a new environment coming out of high school. He also taught hundreds of students as a Teaching Assistant in biology, chemistry, and computer science classes, getting them excited about the real-world applications of the foundational concepts explored in the classroom. He finds it extremely rewarding to see the growth mentees undergo throughout the year, whether it be through their work or their confidence and articulated thoughts in discussion sessions. Jed envisions his future role incorporating supporting the next generation of problem solvers in science and beyond.
In his free time, Jed enjoys playing badminton, taking long walks, learning Korean pop dances, and expanding his foodie palate. After graduation, Jed aspires to continue supporting biotherapeutic development while also pursuing efforts to make such treatments more accessible and equitable to marginalized communities.
